Friday, May 30, 2008

Traveling has kept me very busy and away from my computer for awhile. We just got back from one of our nephews graduations from high school in California. We were excited to go there for that wonderful sunshine California is known for, but to our disappointment it did not show its face until the last day we were to leave. In fact, the day of said nephews graduation we were all bundled under blankets sitting in the football bleachers. Not something you would think you would see in California in May! We were all so glad when it was over so that we could get back in our cars and turn the heated seats on full blast.

The family freezing their butts off!

It was a good time catching up with cousins, aunts and uncles, brothers, sisters, and the like. Some I hadn't seen in quite a long time. They were amazed at how grown up the daughters were. And we enjoyed some amazing Mexican food that my brother cooked and also had catered. It's been a long time since I have had good, authentic Mexican food - it's just hard to come by in Canada.

Since there was no sunshine to be had, we had to occupy our time somewhere so the outlets in Gilroy seemed like the best place. Let's just say that I have my summer wardrobe in clothes and shoes and won't be needing anything else. I love the Gap! And I love shoes!

I am very excited for next weekend when I will be traveling to The Farm Chicks in Spokane, WA. I am anticipating finding a lot of treasures for our home and great vintage items. I am hoping that the weather is going to be wonderfully sunny so that I can soak it up. I've only been to Spokane once before so I plan on exploring the downtown as well. It'll be just Lola and I so I have no planned agenda - just an agenda for MOI! And, look at this great vintage shopping cart that found on where else, EBAY. I made a liner for it so that I can have hands free shopping and put all of my great finds in the cart. Lola will get a "free ride" all day inside of it. Isn't she cute?

So, wish me luck on my buying spree and I will be back home on Tuesday, June 10th. We'll see you all then and I will show you what treasures I found in the town of Spokane, WA!

Sunday, May 18, 2008

The sunshine is here in our little town of Chilliwack! Yah!! Boy, it went from being rainy and cold straight to a heat wave (for us in the cold north) of 90 degree weather. Our pasty white skin bodies don't know what to do in this kind of heat. Burn baby burn is what happens when you spend eight hours times 3 days working in your neglected gardens. So, as I type this post my body is screaming out for some cool aloe vera gel and crying because it knows it is going right back out tomorrow to finish what it has started. So, by tomorrow night all of the flower beds, containers, and any other item that contains flowers, will be singing a sweet song because they finally look so beautiful and cute. Thanks to my two lovely daughters who helped and also one of their friends who spent the night and was so lucky to be able to weed and tan at the same time! You rock girls! I just wish I would've taken some pictures of the three of you scrunched over in your bikini tops pulling weeds with an occasional screech when one of you found a spider, worm, centipede, or other "garden creature". There's still tomorrow!

Look at the little angels weeding the remainder of the front yard....

A garden bed in the front yard....

Another thing that I have to tackle tomorrow is the very, very, slimy pond that I have in an antique bathtub in our front yard. I had never cleaned it out from last summer and who knows what is lurking in the depths of that tub. It certainly looks gross as you can see from the picture below. Once it is clean though it will be the focal point of the front yard once again.

Yucky, slimy mess.....

Yuck!!!!!

Now, looking at the backyard I see that I am going to also have to repair the hammock. I guess it has spent too many summers and winters in the elements and it is now showing it's age. A trip to the local fabric store to get some outdoor fabric that will withstand the heat and rain and it will look new again. I'm just waiting for someone to hop on it and have it rip right in half underneath them. I'm hoping to just cover over the existing fabric - hopefully that will do. Boy, this list just goes on and on.

Come into my backyard......

Next weekend the daughters and I are flying to California to see one of my nephews graduate from high school. It will be a time to catch up with some relatives and to catch some California rays! Also, Gilroy has the greatest outlets in town and you better believe we will be doing some damage there!

I hope the sun is shining where you are and that you get out and enjoy it!

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Yeah!! Our son will soon be graduating from the Langara College Professional Photo Imaging Program. He has spent the last two years in Vancouver attending Langara College. Last Thursday evening the graduating class had their grad show "POST" at the Moat Gallery in the Vancouver Library building. The show consisted of a mixture of genres and styles. Each student had a portfolio of their own work plus there was framed work lining the walls of the gallery. We are proud and excited for him to venture out into the great big world and accomplish his dreams and desires while making oodles of money!

Our son and one of his photos "Floyd"....

Our son and daughters...Son and parents...Our son happy that he received a $500 award...

I'm back from "busy"ness and home once again. I know what tomorrow holds for me - LAUNDRY!! It's always fun to go away, but then coming back home brings a rude awakening to reality and the normal daily things that need to be tended to.

My daughters and I traveled south to Oregon where my parents and sisters live. We had a really nice visit and celebrated Mother's Day with my mom on Saturday. It made it even more extra special when we had lunch and treats from this place......

This place has the most awesome cakes to choose from and every time we go there I try to pick something new to try, but I always seem to have the tiramisu because it is to die for. So, if you are ever in Salem, Oregon you must try this place. We also spent the rest of the day shopping (what girls do best!) up a storm and brought home many new things!

On Monday night my little sister had her grad graphic design show at Linn Benton College. Her work is so great I am sure she will have no problem finding work after she graduates. The evening was spent looking at the different projects all of the grad students had accomplished through the year and also eating all the fantastic appetizers that they had.

My sister the artist with our parents....

With my daughters and other sister....

Here is some of her artwork - Chinese New Year boxes......

And an animal collage.....

I wanted to post more of her artwork but blogger is not letting me do it now - major problems and very slow uploading. Maybe in another post I will show more.

This week also will be a week to finally get to work in the yard. We will be having very warm weather here so I must take advantage of this and tend to the garden. I will have to put all the other indoor projects on hold for awhile and make those flowers smile!

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Yes! The tilers have finished all three rooms and I have my life and my house back! There's something about having strangers in your home while you are there - an uncomfortable feeling, feeling like you can't do anything while they are there, always underfoot. I am so glad I can wake up when I want to, wear my pajamas around in the morning, and not have to hurry to throw some clothes on before they arrive to work on the floors. I has been three weeks since they started and it seems like forever. I am pleased with the way the floors turned out. I can't show you right now what they look like because the house is a mess and it has to be cleaned up before I can do the photo shoot. But I promise to get some pictures posted sometime next week before I head to Oregon for a long/short weekend getaway.